The “confused math lady” meme has gotten a heavy workout during this election season. It turns out it comes from a Brazilian telenovela called Senhora do Destino. The meme features star Renata Sorrah and the original scene actually has to do with jail, not math:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDGaSpgH3l4
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The “confused math lady” meme has gotten a heavy workout during this election season. It turns out it comes from a Brazilian telenovela called Senhora do Destino. The meme features star Renata Sorrah and the original scene actually has to do with jail, not math:

Meme factory/Anonymous birthplace/alt-right breeding ground 4chan is facing challenges similar to those plaguing all ad-supported sites, but as with all things channish, 4chan's problems have their own unique and grotesque wrinkles.
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Meme factory/Anonymous birthplace/alt-right breeding ground 4chan is facing challenges similar to those plaguing all ad-supported sites, but as with all things channish, 4chan's problems have their own unique and grotesque wrinkles.
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Craig Froehle tracks the odd convolutions of his famous illustration of how conservatives and liberals view the notion of equality. It's been simplified, expanded, twisted, tucked in and turned inside-out—and even redrawn by professional artists.

Are the worst versions the ones that bury the simple point in condescending explanation?

Or the ones that seek to subvert it entirely, in as much as stamping "THIS IS FUCKING STUPID" over it counts as subversion?

The cannier mutations contextualize it for local audiences:

I am giddy that my little graphic has helped so many people think about the issue of equity and has spawned so many conversations in just the past few years. I’m not upset by the many way it’s been reimagined. In fact, I’m delighted, because the modifications just make it that much more useful to people.

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Craig Froehle tracks the odd convolutions of his famous illustration of how conservatives and liberals view the notion of equality. It's been simplified, expanded, twisted, tucked in and turned inside-out—and even redrawn by professional artists.

Are the worst versions the ones that bury the simple point in condescending explanation?

Or the ones that seek to subvert it entirely, in as much as stamping "THIS IS FUCKING STUPID" over it counts as subversion?

The cannier mutations contextualize it for local audiences:

I am giddy that my little graphic has helped so many people think about the issue of equity and has spawned so many conversations in just the past few years. I’m not upset by the many way it’s been reimagined. In fact, I’m delighted, because the modifications just make it that much more useful to people.

"Everyone at Oculus is free to support the issues or causes that matter to them, whether or not we agree with those views," Oculus CEO Brendan Trexler Iribe wrote on Facebook. "It is important to remember that Palmer acted independently in a personal capacity, and was in no way representing the company."

Another executive, Jason Rubin, said that the company did not "condone, or spread hate."

"I take him at his word. Those of you who have known me before I joined Oculus know that I would not work in a place that I thought condoned, or spread hate. Nor would I remain silent if I saw it raise its head. I have always believed that games, and now especially VR, have the potential to bring people together. My view is unwavering. I continue to believe that Oculus can make the world a better place."

Luckey, a near-billionaire thanks to the Facebook buyout, used some of the cash to juice Nimble America, an organization dedicated to shitposting memes that generally involve offensive stereotypes of politicians, pundits, racial minorities, Jews and other typical targets of the far right. (For their part, outspoken white supremacists seem divided between those who appreciate a wealthy ally and those who count "Cuckey" as an opportunist trying to co-opt the "Alt Right" movement.)

"Everyone at Oculus is free to support the issues or causes that matter to them, whether or not we agree with those views," Oculus CEO Brendan Trexler Iribe wrote on Facebook. "It is important to remember that Palmer acted independently in a personal capacity, and was in no way representing the company."

Another executive, Jason Rubin, said that the company did not "condone, or spread hate."

"I take him at his word. Those of you who have known me before I joined Oculus know that I would not work in a place that I thought condoned, or spread hate. Nor would I remain silent if I saw it raise its head. I have always believed that games, and now especially VR, have the potential to bring people together. My view is unwavering. I continue to believe that Oculus can make the world a better place."

Luckey, a near-billionaire thanks to the Facebook buyout, used some of the cash to juice Nimble America, an organization dedicated to shitposting memes that generally involve offensive stereotypes of politicians, pundits, racial minorities, Jews and other typical targets of the far right. (For their part, outspoken white supremacists seem divided between those who appreciate a wealthy ally and those who count "Cuckey" as an opportunist trying to co-opt the "Alt Right" movement.)

Depending on whom you ask, a crazy lady got bent out of shape over a dad joke, or a pro-cop token sexually harassed a peaceful protester. Below are both versions of this modern-day Rashomon. Like Harambe, the Hugh Mungus meme works for all political persuasions.

Seattle held raucous City Council meetings over plans to build an expensive new police precinct opponents call "The Bunker." Emotions ran high. This much everyone agrees on.

During the chaos, local news teams were interviewing attendees, including resident Rudy Pantoja. Pantoja expressed appreciation and support for the police, who had helped his daughter get help with her personal and legal problems. Protester Zarna Joshi felt the press was not covering the event proportionally, and began to film Pantoja's interview to show that his views were not representative of the protesters. After the interview, Pantoja saw Joshi was filming him. What happens next is an Abbott and Costello routine for the modern era. The transcript below honors Pantoja's nom de guerre, "Hugh Mungus."

Depending on whom you ask, a crazy lady got bent out of shape over a dad joke, or a pro-cop token sexually harassed a peaceful protester. Below are both versions of this modern-day Rashomon. Like Harambe, the Hugh Mungus meme works for all political persuasions.

Seattle held raucous City Council meetings over plans to build an expensive new police precinct opponents call "The Bunker." Emotions ran high. This much everyone agrees on.

During the chaos, local news teams were interviewing attendees, including resident Rudy Pantoja. Pantoja expressed appreciation and support for the police, who had helped his daughter get help with her personal and legal problems. Protester Zarna Joshi felt the press was not covering the event proportionally, and began to film Pantoja's interview to show that his views were not representative of the protesters. After the interview, Pantoja saw Joshi was filming him. What happens next is an Abbott and Costello routine for the modern era. The transcript below honors Pantoja's nom de guerre, "Hugh Mungus."

The day that the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China had been stealing islands in the South China Sea, the Chinese Communist Party Youth League shared this viral video of young Chinese patriots saying "South Sea arbitration, who cares?"
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The day that the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China had been stealing islands in the South China Sea, the Chinese Communist Party Youth League shared this viral video of young Chinese patriots saying "South Sea arbitration, who cares?"
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The Rhyzodiastes (Temoana) xii is a newly classified species of beetle, indigenous to China's Hainan Island, whose name is a tribute to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
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The Rhyzodiastes (Temoana) xii is a newly classified species of beetle, indigenous to China's Hainan Island, whose name is a tribute to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
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]]>http://boingboing.net/2016/07/11/china-bans-mentions-of-newly-d.html/feed4471034Pause for Dog Meme, Pleasehttp://boingboing.net/2016/05/06/pause-for-dog-meme-please.html
http://boingboing.net/2016/05/06/pause-for-dog-meme-please.html#commentsFri, 06 May 2016 20:10:50 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=460715Sometimes the simplest things in online life are the most sublime

With all the talk of Kanye West, Amber Rose, butt play alleged and butt play denied, it's a good time to revisit one of the great internet memes of yore. Internet sensation Samwell's “What What (In The Butt),” with a music video produced by Brownmark Films.

With all the talk of Kanye West, Amber Rose, butt play alleged and butt play denied, it's a good time to revisit one of the great internet memes of yore. Internet sensation Samwell's “What What (In The Butt),” with a music video produced by Brownmark Films.

A long time ago, Veronica Belmont was featured in a blooper reel for her old TV show in which she clowned around with a Cthulhu t-shirt, wiggling back and forth and saying "So lifelike." A creepy Internet person turned the moment into a GIF that has followed her around ever since, so that other creepy Internet people post it every time she opens her mouth online, and creepy Internet porn companies use it in their ads.
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A long time ago, Veronica Belmont was featured in a blooper reel for her old TV show in which she clowned around with a Cthulhu t-shirt, wiggling back and forth and saying "So lifelike." A creepy Internet person turned the moment into a GIF that has followed her around ever since, so that other creepy Internet people post it every time she opens her mouth online, and creepy Internet porn companies use it in their ads.
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Courtesy of Gawker comes a look at "the shitty memes of the KKK," which might be funny were it not the output of the 21st-century vanguard of a violent white supremacist hate group.

The semiotics ricochet between "use every font", "9gag", and "Parade Magazine advertisement for a gold-rimmed plate depicting a white wolf." Pictured above, a charming example of intersectionality.]]>

Courtesy of Gawker comes a look at "the shitty memes of the KKK," which might be funny were it not the output of the 21st-century vanguard of a violent white supremacist hate group.

The semiotics ricochet between "use every font", "9gag", and "Parade Magazine advertisement for a gold-rimmed plate depicting a white wolf." Pictured above, a charming example of intersectionality.]]>

http://boingboing.net/2015/11/06/kkk-graphic-design-standards-f.html/feed14432835Tweens are smarter than you think: the wonderful, true story of the ERMAHGERD memehttp://boingboing.net/2015/10/16/tweens-are-smarter-than-you-th.html
http://boingboing.net/2015/10/16/tweens-are-smarter-than-you-th.html#commentsFri, 16 Oct 2015 12:18:33 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=428231

Maggie Goldenberger and her fourth- and fifth-grade pals used to amuse themselves by dressing up in weird clothes, doing crazy stuff to their hair, and posing for polaroids holding funny objects and making weird faces. Years later, Goldenberger uploaded some of her favorites to her Myspace and Facebook accounts, which led to Jeff Davis, who she didn't know, posting it to Reddit, where a Redditor called Plantlife ganked it and captioned it with "GERSBERMS. MAH FRAVRIT BERKS" -- and a meme was born.
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Maggie Goldenberger and her fourth- and fifth-grade pals used to amuse themselves by dressing up in weird clothes, doing crazy stuff to their hair, and posing for polaroids holding funny objects and making weird faces. Years later, Goldenberger uploaded some of her favorites to her Myspace and Facebook accounts, which led to Jeff Davis, who she didn't know, posting it to Reddit, where a Redditor called Plantlife ganked it and captioned it with "GERSBERMS. MAH FRAVRIT BERKS" -- and a meme was born.
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]]>http://boingboing.net/2015/10/07/internet-man-sits-and-smiles-a.html/feed16426491Why Impact is the "meme font"http://boingboing.net/2015/07/27/why-impact-is-the-meme-font.html
http://boingboing.net/2015/07/27/why-impact-is-the-meme-font.html#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2015 12:11:08 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=409075
Vox explains how the stout 1965 typeface became the text of choice for internet silliness: because is was included with Windows, and by the time anyone had a choice, "the meme font had itself become a meme."]]>
Vox explains how the stout 1965 typeface became the text of choice for internet silliness: because is was included with Windows, and by the time anyone had a choice, "the meme font had itself become a meme."]]>http://boingboing.net/2015/07/27/why-impact-is-the-meme-font.html/feed13409075Feminist Mad Max meme is an MRA’s nightmarehttp://boingboing.net/2015/05/26/feminist-mad-max-meme-is-an-mr.html
http://boingboing.net/2015/05/26/feminist-mad-max-meme-is-an-mr.html#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 10:00:42 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=391026

The epic faceplant GIF is the Mom’s apple pie of online culture. Representative of all that the Internet stands for, it is reliable and true blue. Many things will change. You will age. Life will be irrevocably altered. But there will always be some poor soul--or idiot--falling flat on their face, over and over and over.

The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery recently published a clinical study analyzing the forces at work on the face of one such young man. Titled “Video Analysis of the Biomechanics of a Bicycle Accident Resulting in Significant Facial Fractures”, the paper claims to be the first analysis of an actual recorded faceplant trauma. That may be true for bicycle accidents, but it’s not the only time scientists have used video of an impact to understand what happens to the faces involved in that collision. In fact, the most interesting takeaway here isn’t from this paper, itself, but from the window it provides into a scientific field — injury biomechanics, the study of how we hurt ourselves.
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The epic faceplant GIF is the Mom’s apple pie of online culture. Representative of all that the Internet stands for, it is reliable and true blue. Many things will change. You will age. Life will be irrevocably altered. But there will always be some poor soul--or idiot--falling flat on their face, over and over and over.

The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery recently published a clinical study analyzing the forces at work on the face of one such young man. Titled “Video Analysis of the Biomechanics of a Bicycle Accident Resulting in Significant Facial Fractures”, the paper claims to be the first analysis of an actual recorded faceplant trauma. That may be true for bicycle accidents, but it’s not the only time scientists have used video of an impact to understand what happens to the faces involved in that collision. In fact, the most interesting takeaway here isn’t from this paper, itself, but from the window it provides into a scientific field — injury biomechanics, the study of how we hurt ourselves.
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]]>http://boingboing.net/2014/05/29/the-science-of-faceplanting.html/feed9305268The Internet may be producing an excess of penguin sweatershttp://boingboing.net/2014/03/06/the-internet-may-be-producing.html
http://boingboing.net/2014/03/06/the-internet-may-be-producing.html#commentsThu, 06 Mar 2014 17:20:26 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=291022The Guardian reports that the Phillips Island Penguin Foundation in Australia is asking volunteers to knit sweaters for penguins being rehabilitated after oil spills. Back in 2011, Dean wrote here about a similar request. The catch: That earlier plea for penguin sweaters (in fact, every earlier plea for penguin sweaters) has produced far, far more penguin sweaters than penguins actually need. For instance, in 2000, the Tasmanian Conservation Trust requested 100 sweaters and received 15,000. Yes, penguins wearing sweaters are cute, but it may be a good idea to contact the Phillips Island Penguin Foundation directly before you get started knitting. ]]>The Guardian reports that the Phillips Island Penguin Foundation in Australia is asking volunteers to knit sweaters for penguins being rehabilitated after oil spills. Back in 2011, Dean wrote here about a similar request. The catch: That earlier plea for penguin sweaters (in fact, every earlier plea for penguin sweaters) has produced far, far more penguin sweaters than penguins actually need. For instance, in 2000, the Tasmanian Conservation Trust requested 100 sweaters and received 15,000. Yes, penguins wearing sweaters are cute, but it may be a good idea to contact the Phillips Island Penguin Foundation directly before you get started knitting. ]]>http://boingboing.net/2014/03/06/the-internet-may-be-producing.html/feed24291022Disneyside's social media memefesthttp://boingboing.net/2013/11/05/disneysides-social-media-mem.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/11/05/disneysides-social-media-mem.html#commentsWed, 06 Nov 2013 00:29:00 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=266389

As previously mentioned, I'm doing a six-week stint with Disney Imagineering in Glendale, and today I got to spend the day hanging out at Disneyland for the launch of Disneyside, an initiative that asks Disney fans to share photos and videos of themselves having fun at the Disney parks. To kick it off, Disney brought in a bunch of people (and animals) with large social media footprints, from Grumpy Cat to the folks behind Conversations With My Two Year Old, a video series we're very fond of around here.
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As previously mentioned, I'm doing a six-week stint with Disney Imagineering in Glendale, and today I got to spend the day hanging out at Disneyland for the launch of Disneyside, an initiative that asks Disney fans to share photos and videos of themselves having fun at the Disney parks. To kick it off, Disney brought in a bunch of people (and animals) with large social media footprints, from Grumpy Cat to the folks behind Conversations With My Two Year Old, a video series we're very fond of around here.
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